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Billing code 66505: Iris surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical removal of peripheral iris tissue through an eye incision to treat glaucoma, rather than creating an opening by incision or laser alone.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities29 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $382.77 for 66505 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 66505

Iris surgery

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
4.11
Total RVUs
11.46
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$382.77

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 66505 → · Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 66505 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 66505 covers

An ophthalmic surgeon removes a small portion of peripheral iris tissue through a surgical entry at the cornea-sclera junction. The procedure is used for glaucoma when excising peripheral iris is the planned treatment, such as to create an alternate route for aqueous fluid flow. It is performed in a surgical setting, commonly as an operating-room procedure, rather than as a routine office examination or laser treatment.

Select this code when the operative report supports peripheral iris tissue removal for glaucoma; distinguish it from an incision-only iridotomy and from procedures removing a larger or different extent of iris. Document the treated eye, glaucoma indication, surgical approach, and tissue removed. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery services are not paid; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.

Where 66505 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

66505 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$348.58
Alaska*Unavailable$461.53
ArizonaUnavailable$373.88
ArkansasUnavailable$344.25
AtlantaUnavailable$389.22
AustinUnavailable$395.33
BakersfieldUnavailable$403.42
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$404.75
BeaumontUnavailable$360.90
BrazoriaUnavailable$379.27

66505 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
66505 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 66505 rate is calculated

Each of 66505’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.

How the rate is built · 66505

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 4.11Practice expense 7.01Malpractice 0.34

11.4600 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$382.77

All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 66505

66505 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 66505

Iris surgery

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.70/0.20Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 66505

Iris surgery

90-day global period ends

Dec 30, 2026

Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).

Visit on Oct 31, 2026

Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.

  • 24 Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79 Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58 Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78 Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

66505 without 50 · national facility

$382.77

Iris surgery

66505-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$574.16

Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).

When to use modifier 50

66505 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

66505 vs 66500 vs 66761: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 66505
    Iris surgery · 4.11 wRVU
    —
  • 66500
    Surgical iridotomy · 3.73 wRVU
    —
  • 66761
    Laser iridotomy · 2.93 wRVU
    $299.27

How to choose

66500Surgical iridotomy
Use 66505 when peripheral iris tissue is surgically excised for glaucoma. Use 66500 for an incision-only iridotomy.
66761Laser iridotomy
Use 66761 for laser creation of a peripheral iris opening; 66505 is surgical removal of peripheral iris tissue.

Codes related to 66505

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Codes related to 66505
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
66500Surgical iridotomyIncision-only iridotomy is distinct from excision of peripheral iris tissue.No office rate
66761Laser iridotomyLaser peripheral iridotomy is an alternative method for creating an iris opening.$268.35–$392.40

66505 billing questions

How is this different from 66500?

This code describes surgical excision of peripheral iris tissue for glaucoma. Code 66500 is for an incision-only iridotomy, without the same peripheral tissue excision.

Can this be reported for a laser iridotomy?

No. This code describes surgical iris tissue removal; laser peripheral iridotomy is reported with 66761 when that service is performed.

Are related postoperative visits separately billable?

The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in this code’s global period.

How should bilateral procedures be reported?

For a bilateral procedure, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral service at 150%.

How does CMS handle other procedures performed in the same session?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in the session are paid at 50%.

May an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?

CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

Where these rates come from

FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.

CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 66505PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,378 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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